Dinner with Royalty
by DaveTheAnalyzer
Summary: After Shoutmon and company return to Taiki, they get to meet and have dinner with Mrs. Kudou. How will this evening meal with otherworldly guests play out?


Disclaimer: Digimon Xros Wars is the property if Toei and Bandai.

Note: This takes place between episodes 56 and 57 of Xros Wars – or episodes 2 and 3 of Hunters, depending on how you count episodes

* * *

 **Dinner with Royalty**

 **by**

 **The Analyzer**

"It's great to have you back, Shoutmon." Taiki said. "You and the rest of the core members of Xros Heart. I missed you all terribly."

"Likewise, Taiki." Shoutmon's warm voice came out of the Xros Loader. "We couldn't help but think of you whenever efforts to rebuild the Digital World became difficult but even during times when we managed fine, we would have liked you to be around anyway."

Taiki's smile widened as he continued walking home, his mood greatly improved now he was reunited with his Digimon friends. After they had parted from Tagiru and Yuu, Shoutmon and the others have filled Taiki in on progress in the Digital World and amusing anecdotes that made Taiki laugh like old times. He kept his Xros Loader near his mouth like a walkie talkie and lowered his voice whenever people passed by. Ordinarily, he would have waited until he was safely enclosed in his room before the eager chatting but even Taiki couldn't resist taking the tiny risk to catch up with his old friends after a year of silence.

"You're going to enjoy the food we have here in the Real World." Taiki continued. "I remember you were very much savoring the food the last time you were here and now it's everyone's opportunity to have it with Mom's cooking."

"Oh, really?" Shoutmon's new warm but measures tones briefly wavered back into his old enthusiasm. "That would be really great, Taiki! Though we wouldn't want to trouble you by sneaking all of that food into the Xros Loader. Your Mom would probably wonder where you're putting it all, if you get what I'm saying."

"Though if you do so, you certainly wouldn't hear much complaints from Shoutmon and the others." Dorulumon commented.

"Hehe, I'm afraid that would be right." Ballistamon said.

"I certainly can't wait to get a taste of Earth food, right men?" Starmon said.

"Yeah!" The Pickmon said.

"That does sound appealing, kyu." Cutemon said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind a taste of your mom's cooking myself, kyu."

"Be quiet, all of you." Shoutmon said impatiently. "If you think you could do it, erm, do so, but don't risk exposing us just because you can't turn your back on our potential hunger. We can manage with whatever Wisemon will give us."

"You don't need to. This won't be any burden on me at all." Taiki said. "In fact, you could all sit at the table with us."

Shoutmon paused. "We could all – want to run that by me again?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Taiki scratched the back of his head. "Mom already knows about the Digimon. I told her about it last year."

"You told her about – but I thought she didn't believe you! She thought you were making up some sort of story."

"Let's just say witnessing your fight with Tactimon and seeing you all return to the Digital World through the sky after defeating Bagramon made her a lot more believing." Taiki said dryly. "Needless to say, when I came back home, there were a lot more serious questions of what I was up to those past two days."

"That certainly doesn't sound ominous." Dorulumon said. "Reminds me of when Cutemon's parents told me what would happen to me in no uncertain terms if something happened to their little boy."

"Oh, no. She was worried about me but was very thankful that you were all protecting me during my adventures."

"So she wouldn't mind us being there?" Ballistamon asked.

"I'm sure she won't." Taiki said. "My mom is a very open minded person. She's welcoming of all sorts of people and enjoys making them happy. She trusts me enough to take care of myself when I go to help sports teams and expressed pride when I talked about all the accomplishments the teams I worked with had. Don't worry, you all will be warmly welcomed."

"Well, hearing of us would be different than meeting us." Shoutmon said. "I still remember how Akari and Zenjirou continued to freak out in those first few days. Are you sure she won't be freaked out by us."

"Well…any more than Tagiru was freaked out when he first came across Digimon." Taiki said unsurely. "But she can bounce back just as fast as him. I'm sure it won't be a big issue."

Shoutmon made a thoughtful hum. "Okay then, we'll trust your judgement. But what about DigiQuartz. Is it alright to tell her about it?"

Taiki felt a pang of uncertainty. "Not tonight. Or for a while. I don't want to worry her too much about me being in danger again. Maybe some other time after she grows to trust you all."

"Okay then. If you say so. Tell us when you're ready to introduce us."

Taiki made an affirmative noise and lowered his Xros Loader as his house came into view. Taking out his key, he opened the door and paused once inside to change from shoes to house slippers as Mrs. Kudou hummed in the kitchen.

"Welcome back, Taiki! Have you had fun with your friends today?"

"I'm home, Mom. And yeah, I had a great time with them. There have been some troubles but I'm feeling pretty good."

"That's nice. I'm just starting dinner now, so please be patient while I make it."

Taiki padded into the kitchen and found Mrs. Kudou spinning her wooden spoon in a pot while occasionally glancing at a cookbook. He didn't know what the orange substance in the pot was but it certainly smelled good and Taiki had long experience with his mother's cooking turning out right he trusted her not to screw up too badly. Taiki sat at the table while putting his bookbag near his feet.

"Actually Mom, on the subject of dinner, I might have a couple friends over." Taiki said.

Mrs. Kudou paused in her stirring. "Guests?"

"If that's okay with you." Taiki quickly added. "If you aren't fit for it, I'll call them immediately and they would perfectly understand."

"Oh no, it's fine." Mrs. Kudou turned to give Taiki a reassuring smile before she resumed stirring. "I'd be more than happy to accommodate for your friends. Is it Yuu and Tagiru? They are so sweet and enthusiastic, I wouldn't mind having them over again."

"No, these are friends I've recently got back in touch with." Taiki shifted in his seat. "You heard me talk about them but haven't had the chance to meet them yet."

"Oh, you mean like Yuu's sister who broke into the Idol business in Hong Kong?" Mrs. Kudou asked. "Nene sounds like a talented girl, from how Yuu talks about her. Or how about that Kiriha? No, I believe I met him once when I drove you to the airport to bid him farewell. Any other people you helped along the way you became close to?"

"You're getting warmer." Taiki took a deep breath. "Kiriha and Nene were with me when I was helping these friends during several particularly perilous moments. I talked about it with you when I got back but you didn't believe it until it all was over."

Mrs. Kudou had shut off the heat for a burner on the stove and was in the process of pulling the pot onto a cooler burner when she paused. Still holding the pot in her gloved hands, she turned around with a confused expression. "Are you talking about Shoutmon and those Digimon friends of yours?"

Taiki nodded. "I am."

"You mean they are coming here? This evening?" Mrs. Kudou carefully placed the pot on the cool burner before approaching Taiki, her face a strange mix of dawning comprehension and utter bemusement. "But I thought travel between worlds was difficult after both worlds were saved from…Bagramon, was it?"

"A Digimon friend called Wisemon was able to fix that up." Taiki smiled. "They would be very happy to meet you and eat your food, particularly Shoutmon. He very much liked the food you offered a year back when he was small and invisible, and he will be very complimentary with whatever you get him."

Mrs. Kudou was still processing Taiki's words, though she started to smile slightly. "They sound like wonderful people. It would be amazing to have dinner with people from this other world. I would be happy to have them over. But when are they coming over? Did they specify a time?"

Taiki was silent for a moment. "You can meet them now. They have been with us the entire time."

"If that's okay with you, Taiki's mom." Shoutmon's voice echoed.

Mrs. Kudou looked around rapidly, eyes wide, but Taiki raised his Xros Loader. The screen flashed as Shoutmon continued speaking.

"Sorry to startle you but we want to be sure you want to meet me and my buddies. Though be forewarned, we are probably very weird-looking for you humans."

"Your friends are in that tiny device, Taiki?" Mrs. Kudou didn't stop staring at it. "You told me this happened but it's different to have proof of this in front of…" She shook her head. "You could come out, the Digimon whose speaking. I'll prepare myself for whatever form you all might hold."

The screen of the Xros Loader was blank for a second. Then the brightest flash of light yet, which distended from the screen and took the form of a standing figure near where Taiki sat. Shoutmon soon stood there, gazing up at Mrs. Kudou before putting an arm around his chest and swinging his other arm out as he bowed.

"It's nice we can properly meet at last, Taiki's mom." Shoutmon said solemnly. "I'm Shoutmon, king of the Digital World, member of Xros Heart, and Taiki's dear friend."

Mrs. Kudou was open-mouthed. Whatever she said about preparing herself for these alien guests, she was startled to find a being so different from humans talking so respectively. For a moment, she and Shoutmon seemed to be frozen in position. Then when Shoutmon raised his gaze curiously, Mrs. Kudou twitched and briefly bowed in return.

"It's an honor to meet someone who helped keep my son safe during those grueling days in the Digital World. Thank you."

"No, you should thank your son." Shoutmon didn't stop his bow. "Without his great mind, we would have been dead many times over and both worlds would currently be a dystopia."

A weak smile tentatively appeared on Mrs. Kudou's features. She relaxed. "You sound very sincere. If Taiki means that much to you, then I think we can dispose of formalities. Come have a seat so you could relax and we could all have a chat."

Mrs. Kudou hesitated and then grabbed Shoutmon's arm, startling him out of his bow. She gently guided him over to the chair beside Taiki before going back to get another pot and put it on the counter. She casually started adding ingredients to the other pot. Shoutmon's expression was caught somewhere between bemusement and amusement at his own bemusement. Shoutmon exchanged that bemused look with Taiki, who had the sudden urge to laugh.

"You mentioned other Digimon friends are in there too." Mrs. Kudou said. "They don't need to be shy. They can come out and introduce themselves while I continue cooking."

"Actually, there is a bit of a funny issue." Shoutmon said. "No more than one Digimon at a time can come out of the Xros Loader. That wasn't the rule before while Taiki was in the Digital World but it seems to be so now."

"Oh, that sounds like an annoying limitation. Can you all take turns or take stuff with you into the Xros Loader? When I serve dinner, you could take a plate and go back into the Xros Loader to eat, maybe coming out if you want to talk to us more directly or get another serving. Is that a reasonable plan for you all?"

"Y'know, that might not be such a bad idea." Shoutmon said, leaning over to speak into Taiki's Xros Loader. "Hey Ballistamon, everyone, have you been listening? You can all say hello to Taiki's mom now. But make sure to take turns and be careful of the furniture. So why don't you go first, Ballistamon?"

"Okay."

Shoutmon hopped off his chair and was in the process of pushing it away from the table when a flash of light enveloped him and Ballistamon was soon standing in Shoutmon's place. There was an ominous groan from the chair as Ballistamon's back pressed against it, and he hastily shimmied to the side and pushed the chair away enough that he could stand beside Taiki comfortably. At the sound of all the hubbub, Mrs. Kudou turned around after putting a cover on the second pot and paused to just stare.

"Hello, I'm Ballistamon." Ballistamon waved a hand awkwardly. "Nice to meet you, Taiki's mom. I'm a friend from Shoutmon's early days and will enjoy your food very much."

"Oh, well I appreciate your confidence in me." Mrs. Kudou said. "But you don't seem to have a mouth to eat with."

"I don't need to move my mouth to speak but I can use it to eat. Don't worry if you can't tell whether I'm enjoying your cooking or not. I'll be sure to say it sometimes even before I swallow it."

Mrs. Kudou's stare relaxed into a smile. "Thank you very much, Ballistamon. You're very sweet. But don't try to speak before swallowing. I wouldn't want anyone to risk choking because they want to flatter me. It could wait a few seconds."

Ballistamon flushed and rubbed the back of his head, making a bashful laugh. "Heh, we have some experience to get around that but we'll do as you say."

Seeing a metal being actually blush like a human seemed to astound Mrs. Kudou yet a gentle chuckle couldn't help escaping her lips as she returned to heating up the second pot. Ballistamon turned uncertainly to Taiki, who smiled and gave an approving thumbs up. Ballistamon relaxed.

"Want to go next, Dorulumon?" Ballistamon asked.

"Might as well. It would be my turn eventually."

"Right. Be warned, you might have to sit on the floor since there's not a lot of room."

Ballistamon turned around to push the chair away a few more feet. Then he was swallowed in light and replaced by Dorulumon, who had to raise his tail and shuffle his body so he could sit sideways and not knock anything down. Even so, Taiki had to nudge his chair away slightly as the chair behind Dorulumon was jostled. Mrs. Kudou swiveled around from stirring the contents of the second pot with an exasperated but amused look on her face only to see Dorulumon. She looked a bit intimidated.

"Hello, erm, ma'am." Dorulumon said awkwardly. "I'm Dorulumon."

"Amazing." Mrs. Kudou said. "You're really big. Do any of your friends come in larger sizes, Taiki, because if so, I might need your help in order to make food for all of them."

"He's the biggest who chose to come along for now." Taiki reassured. "There are others still in the Digital World of varying sizes but they had yet the opportunity to, erm, visit."

"I promise I won't allow my appetite to get the better of me, ma'am." Dorulumon said. "At worst, probably only around two servings of food. It would be really unkind to vacuum up your food budget."

"Oh, you don't need to sacrifice your personal health that much for us." Mrs. Kudou paused. "Three helpings, maybe, tops. I'm relieved you're quite an accommodating gentleman, uh, Dorulumon. And you can call me Mrs. Kudou. You don't need to be that formal with me."

"It's appreciated…Mrs. Kudou." Dorulumon covered up his awkwardness with a dry smile. "Though if you're worried about your food budget, I would be concerned about my other friends, who possess a greater appetite than I ever had, to the point they have swollen their stomachs out more than once."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Shoutmon protested, though he was laughing. "I have gotten better than that!"

"I hope you weren't talking about me as well, Dorulumon." Cutemon said.

"You have learned better table manners." At the ominous pause, Dorulumon hastened to add. "Well, why don't you introduce yourself to Mrs. Kudou next, Cutemon?"

"You're just trying to distract from the issue, kyu." Cutemon huffed. "But okay!"

Soon Dorulumon was replaced by Cutemon, who materialized in the air before landing on the table with only the smallest sound of effort. Mrs. Kudou, having yet to return to her cooking, was relieved at Cutemon's much more compact size and even a bit smitten by his adorable appearance.

"Well, your name certainly fits you." Mrs. Kudou said. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Kudou, Taiki's mother."

"I'm Cutemon, kyu." Cutemon waved. "I'm the healer of the group. If there's any hurt that needs to be taken care of, I'm the 'mon for the job!"

"If I burn myself on the stove, then I know who to go to. I must also thank you for healing whatever wounds Taiki received in the Digital World."

Cutemon blinked. "Taiki told you about those points in our adventures?"

"He didn't exactly go over them in detail but I was able to fill in the blanks since the general description gelled with the son I know who would be willing to risk a few bruises in order to help someone." Mrs. Kudou answered fondly. "He's got them when substituting for sports teams or defending some classmates from bullies, so it wasn't too surprising or something I discouraged too much. I was proud to have such a nice boy."

"So Taiki has always been Taiki." Cutemon said wryly. "You have raised him well then, kyu. It must have been hard for you to separate from a nice mom, Taiki."

Taiki rubbed the back of his head, smiling weakly. "It was hard. But in order to make a world where children, parents, and guardians wouldn't have to go through what your family went through, I had to do it."

"Oh, so Digimon have families as well?" Mrs. Kudou asked.

Cutemon nodded. "Some of us have parents like me and Taiki. I was separated from mine during our adventures for a while but they are doing well now. Others like Shoutmon, Ballistamon, Starmon, and the Pickmon usually have a guardian who looks after them in addition to the village."

"It's interesting to hear how like and unlike the Digital World is to our world." Mrs. Kudou said. "Anyway, I'm glad your parents seem to be fine, Cutemon. They must be proud of the help you have and seem to continue giving to others."

Cutemon flushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you, Mrs. Kudou."

"And last but not least, it's us, men!" Starmon's voice called out.

"Be sure not to scare her too much." Shoutmon said dryly. "We're trying to be friendly and nonthreatening here."

"Don't worry, Brother, we know how to be friendly!"

"Yeah!" The Pickmon said.

"They certainly sound enthusiastic, at least." Mrs. Kudou said.

Cutemon sighed and shook his head in exasperation. "They are, kyu. Now I'll excuse myself for them."

Cutemon vanished and Starmon and the Pickmon were soon waving their appendages, dancing in greeting, in Cutemon's place. Mrs. Kudou watched and tilted her head at the star-shaped creatures.

"Greetings there Bro – I mean, Sister!" Starmon posed. "I'm Starmon and these fellows beside me are the Pickmon. We are childhood friends of Shoutmon and greatly admire Taiki's help in keeping him and the Digital World safe. And no need to worry, we believe your food will definitely be snazzy!"

Yeah, so snazzy!" The Pickmon piped in.

"Thank you for your confidence in me, erm, Starmon, Pickmon." Mrs. Kudou seemed even more bemused. "Do the Pickmon have individual names though? It would be awkward if I call them by their name or color, especially since there are more than one of two of your colors."

Starmon adopted a bemused expression himself. "You mean you can't tell them apart by sight or the simple way the name is spoken? Like that is Pickmon, that is Pickmon, and here is Pickmon and Pickmon?"

Mrs. Kudou shook her head. "Not really. Sorry. If two people have the same name, they generally have a family name, or even a middle name in the case of some western countries, so others could tell them apart. How would you like to be addressed, dear Pickmon?"

The Pickmon looked among themselves and whispered together. Then the red Pickmon stepped up as their spokesman. "You're more than free to refer to us by color and, for my silver and yellow comrades, you can call them by what number or other name would be comfortable with you, Mrs. Kudou."

"I'm grateful for your consent to such an accommodation, red Pickmon." Mrs. Kudou said, relieved. "The human world must be as strange to you as these glimpses into Digital World customs are strange for me."

"No worries." Starmon reassured. "We'll occupy ourselves with your dinner, so you wouldn't hear much from us. Confusion about what to call my crew will be kept to a dazzling minimum."

"That's sweet of you but please don't remain silent if you want to join the conversation. Having dinner occasionally includes talking about various topics and I wouldn't want to exclude anyone." Mrs. Kudou gazed at Starmon speculatively. "By the way, your glasses remind me of a show Taiki liked to watch some years back – a character wore glasses like yours and piloted a giant robot."

"I think that was Gurren Lagann, Mom." Taiki said.

"Oh, that's right. It's interesting how you got a friend that's just like that character…"

Taiki laughed. "I wouldn't say he was a clone of the character you're talking about but his shades are rather familiar in that light."

"I'm glad to remind you of a brother from a great story of this world." Starmon gave a bow. "We'll wait for your cooking eagerly inside the Xros Loader. And I believe Shoutmon will be taking it from there…"

There was one last flash and Shoutmon was standing at the table with the chair still pushed to the wall, looking slightly sheepish.

"And those are the core members of my team." Shoutmon briefly went to drag the chair back to its original spot and sat down before continuing. "There are other members and friends who will join me later and you'll probably meet then. I hope this isn't too strange for you. Even I admit we're kind of an eccentric bunch."

"Oh no, you all are very lovely." Mrs. Kudou reassured. "Seeing a giant robot beetle, a big wolf, a pink rabbit, and a talking star and several meteorites was admittedly strange but all of you are so nice I'm slowly getting used to it. Now, onto preparing dinner. Taiki, since you so kindly offered assistance, why don't you help me with cooking the many foods needed to make this party happy."

Taiki nodded, and joined Mrs. Kudou as she gave him instructions on how to cut some fruits and vegetables with the large knife she pointed to. Shoutmon watched as son and mother made the rest of dinner with an ease that demonstrated Taiki did this more than once. Out of the corner of his eye, Taiki observed as Mrs. Kudou brought a spoon up to sip the ramen and nod thoughtfully before resuming her stirring. He was thankful she seemed to behave like she usually did, after the strange experience of meeting so many alien beings in a row. Mrs. Kudou was always the easygoing, adaptable sort, which helped her tolerate the long absences of her husband and, when he was present, allowed them to resume acting like a comfortable couple. That easygoing adaptability allowed her to spruce up more food for the surprise guests without much complaint, but Taiki helped as much as he could.

Within an hour or two, Taiki gazed around at the number of plates and pots filled with varying foods. There was the experimental miso soup Taiki noted earlier, the old reliable but delicious ramen, grilled fish, salads, boiled vegetables, and a few others that weren't immediately identifiable. From his vague memories, Taiki had told Mrs. Kudou about the food Shoutmon had expressed an interest in a year before. Not all of these were among the current options, but the smells coming from the kitchen counter were enough for Shoutmon to take a deep breath and close his eyes with the same contented expression as someone relaxing in a sauna.

"This smells delicious." Shoutmon said.

Taiki and Mrs. Kudou already had plates with a bit of every option as they sat at the table. Mrs. Kudou waved at Shoutmon to proceed and the Digimon king needed no further persuasion. He hopped out of the chair and picked up a few empty bowls and plates from the pile near the end of the counter. He looked at each choosing presented in a pot or on a plate before he proceeded to take a spoon or fork and add them to the dishes he balanced in his hands. By the time he finished, the bowls and plates seemed stuffed to the brim with nearly all the choices. Shoutmon carefully went over and placed each bowl and plate on the table before he spoke.

"Come on, men! It's time to chow down. Come one at a time and make sure not to bump into anything as you take your pick. Also be careful with balancing these dishes, it's kind of a pain and we don't want to make Taiki's mom's floor messy, right?"

There was a chorus of affirmation but even so, Taiki and Mrs. Kudou stood as Shoutmon and his dishes were replaced by Ballistamon. They helped him through the process. Fortunately he only knocked over one pot Mrs. Kudou quickly rebalanced and two plates slipped in his grip that Taiki hastily caught and offered to carry. Soon they found it better to place a filled kitchen dish onto the table and go back to resume picking and choosing then trying to balance everything with two hands. Ballistamon took his time, muttering to himself during the process. By the end, he took nearly the same amount of food as Shoutmon and returned to the Xros Loader with a quick, "thank you."

Dorulumon then appeared but this time he seemed to get the message. He took a bowl and plate each that Mrs. Kudou and Taiki respectively held and was pickier in his selection. The table had to be moved back slightly to give him room for his careful perusing. But they moved the table back when Cutemon appeared and picked slightly more food than Dorulumon. Starmon and his Pickmon crew ironically took the longest to find what they wanted. All the choices smelled so good they had a difficult time making a decision. Shrugging, Starmon and the Pickmon took one plate and bowl each as they chose among the most unique and plentiful of the lot. With that settled, the dinner guests gave their thanks and dug in.

"Ooh, this is good." Shoutmon said approvingly, digging his chopsticks into a bowl of ramen. "Ever since I heard this was called 'special,' I wanted to try it and I'm glad it lives up to your name for it."

"I'm happy you like it," Mrs. Kudou said. "I perfected the ramen over a few months when I first began experimenting with my cooking. It was one of my first successes. I admit, when I'm stuck for ideas or simply want to put food on the table, I usually default to the simple and successful meals like the special ramen."

"This simple and successful meal is certainly satisfying." Shoutmon said. "You won't be hearing much of any complaints from us, right men?"

"Agreed." Ballistamon said. "Mrs. Kudou's cooking is great."

"I'm pushing off the temptation to rush through the food like the others, so that's a point in her favor." Dorulumon said.

"Yeah, it's delicious, kyu." Cutemon said.

"You sure have skill here, Sister!" Starmon said. "Your making flavors dance on my tongue!"

"Hear, hear!" The Pickmon said.

"That's wonderful to hear." Mrs. Kudou said. "Sometimes though I want Taiki and, when he's home, my husband to experience something new in their many routines. A good surprise could brighten a person's day."

"I can certainly understand that." Shoutmon replied. "Helping put the Digital World back together is still worthwhile work and I wouldn't trade it for anything but sometimes boring tasks have to be done in order for Digimon to eventually be happy. So I usually enjoy whatever positive deviations there are in the day and this is definitely one."

"Helping put the Digital World back together?" Mrs. Kudou started, as though suddenly remembering something. "That's right, you mentioned you were the king there. It kind of slipped my mind after you introduced yourself."

"That's fine." Shoutmon gave a reassuring wave. "I don't care much for that royal etiquette nonsense unless some unruly hooligans need some discipline. You've been more than nice enough for me in my book."

Mrs. Kudou, who began to look a bit nervous, relaxed. "Well, it's a relief I didn't accidentally cause an interdimensional incident. I heard some royalty are very picky about how they're addressed but with how warm you've been, I suspected it was a slight worry. So how's the Digital World doing? Is peace finally settling in?"

"Ha, I wish. Actually, compared to Bagramon's rule, everything's been pretty calm, with only the occasional stealing or fighting that comes out of desperation or greed. I've had to help organize evenly distributing the needed resources across many areas to mitigate those kinds of crimes. Some aren't exactly happy they might have to be less rich or whatever, but in order to get smiles for everyone, you have to ruffle a few feathers."

Mrs. Kudou nodded in agreement. "Oh, I understand ruffling a few feathers for the greater good. I've had to go to the school authorities more than once to back Taiki up when they attempted to punish him for defending classmates from bullying. As his mother, I've grown so used to Taiki's body language I could tell when he was in trouble without even saying anything and I wasn't going to stand by him being punished for being a basic human being."

"Hear, hear!" Shoutmon raised his plate of boiled vegetables in approval and he set the plate back down to continue eating them. "I'm not surprised to hear Taiki has always been a heroic sort, nor that he got into trouble with some big jerks. Good thing he had an awesome mom like you to look after him."

Mrs. Kudou's smile widened affectionately. "Oh, I trust Taiki can take care of himself and he has proved he can. But if I suspect things are getting out of hand for him, I'll try to give whoever's giving him trouble a good tongue-lashing."

Shoutmon gave a big belly laugh. "That's the spirit!"

"Mom…Shoutmon…" Taiki leaned slightly into his miso soup, face aflame. He was happy his mother and the Digimon were getting along but their easy talk about his school exploits was embarrassing.

"C'mon Taiki, you can take a joke!" Shoutmon chuckled, giving Taiki's arm a friendly slap. "You know everyone around this table loves you."

"I guess being reminded of the times I bailed him out when his Good Samaritan actions didn't go so well is a bit mortifying for him." Mrs. Kudou teased.

"I see." Shoutmon smirked. "Don't worry, Taiki. Any mortifying secrets will be Team Xros Heart's secret."

Taiki sighed and gave a small smile before poking Shoutmon in the arm. "I kind of doubt that. I wouldn't put it past you to use it as ammunition to push me into doing whatever silly shenanigans you have in mind. Do you want me to tell my mother of all the humiliating situations I had to bail you out of whenever you decided to do something ridiculous?"

"Bring it on! I have no shame of the road to our accomplishments."

"Is that so? Then you wouldn't mind if I told her about the time you were tricked into eating all of the bananas we needed in a cooking contest until you passed out and your stomach stuck-"

"Ah, okay, okay! Heh, you got me there Taiki. Point to you."

Shoutmon laughed and Taiki couldn't resist a chuckle escaping out. Mrs. Kudou watched the pair with a heartened expression.

"It's nice to see you two get along so well." Mrs. Kudou said. "I'm glad Shoutmon and the rest of you Digimon found time out of your busy schedule ruling and helping rebuild the Digital World to come over for dinner and give some extra joy around this table."

"Heh, fortunately the Digital World has stabilized enough that some things can run fine while I'm away. I live to spread that joy you mentioned over that world but that doesn't mean I shouldn't take some time to have a bit of joy for myself." Shoutmon hopped out of his chair with his two empty dishes, and cheerfully went to fill them up. "And speaking of joy, I'm going to have some more of that special ramen and boiled vegetables you cooked up."

Shoutmon refilled his bowl and plate with those food items, whistling as he took his time. When he was finished, Shoutmon returned to the table to find Mrs. Kudou smiling at him fondly.

"You're such a nice and fun loving Digimon." Mrs. Kudou said. "You must be popular in the Digital World."

"You could say something like that." Dorulumon's voice came from the Xros Loader. "Though like even the best of rulers, he does have his detractors."

"There are some who understandably think he isn't working fast enough." Ballistamon said. "We're trying the best we can. Fortunately, we have a lot of friends who're helping rebuild the Digital World and conditions have gotten better. Many of the complaints now are usually minor things, like Shoutmon's singing."

"His singing?" Mrs. Kudou tilted her head, pausing mid-chew with her ramen noodles.

"Yeah, whenever there's some celebration, formal gathering, or when he's just in the mood, Shoutmon might decide to try his vocals out." Dorulumon answered. "It usually ends in boos and pleas to make the pain stop."

"Oh c'mon guys, my singing's not that bad." Shoutmon said.

"Is that so? Then sing for Taiki and Mrs. Kudou."

Shoutmon froze as Taiki and Mrs. Kudou watched him expectantly. Shoutmon coughed and brought up his staff, took a deep breath, and gave a weak attempt at carrying a tune before giving up.

"Alright, my singing skills might need some improvement." Shoutmon mumbled. "Not that I was very interested in singing anyway."

"There was also that time you threw a cake at a high-positioned figure after you got into an argument," Ballistamon said. "You started a food fight thereafter. Your temper has been cited as a problem."

"Yeah, I've been trying to get better at that…but that cake throwing thing only happened once."

"You also occasionally indulge in some silliness that just baffles anyone you try to make peace with." Starmon said. "Granted, it often works out in the end but an arm wrestling match is a strange thing to have during a trade talk."

"An arm wrestling…match." Taiki said, amused.

"Hey, he wasn't turned off by the idea, and I won," Shoutmon said. "At least he kept his end of the bargain. Plus it was popular to those who were watching."

"If that's what you say, kyu." Cutemon said. "At least my parents thought it was nice the Digital World had an adorable king who can still get things done, kyu."

"Yeah, adorable, yeah!" The Pickmon said.

"That label does have some bearing in reality," Dorulumon said dryly.

Shoutmon rubbed the back of his head. "Oh guys, do you really have to bring this up in front of Taiki and his mom? It's kind of embarrassing."

"From my time with you, I would call the 'adorable' label accurate." Taiki teased.

"I wouldn't say it's a bad thing." Mrs. Kudou said. "I admit, there's a bit of an edge about you, but you have a youthful sincerity and joy that can't help but charm others."

"Really?" Shoutmon grinned sheepishly. "Heh. I guess if that's an asset that'll help me, then I'll wear the moniker of 'adorable' proudly! I can't see myself ever stopping being silly."

Taiki scratched Shoutmon's head playfully. "Wouldn't have you any other way, partner."

Shoutmon threw his arms up to drive Taiki's arm away and the two chuckled. Shoutmon stirred at the special ramen, shrugged, and then picked at his grilled fish dish, making noises of approval.

"Though really, all of those are minor problems." Shoutmon said through a full mouth. "They're usually resolved within a day or two, and pale in comparison to other issues. Like resolving the next land dispute."

"Or how much food is equally distributed in an area," Dorulumon said.

"Or how to get medicine to those who really need it," Cutemon said.

"The others are helping out with those things, but it's still tough work," Ballistamon said.

"Especially with DigiQuartz having Digimon disappear into the Real-"

"Be quiet!"

There was the distorted sound of a scuffle and Starmon made muffles noises as the Pickmon apparently pressed his mouth shut. But Mrs. Kudou was gazing at the Xros Loader and then turning to Taiki and Shoutmon in concern.

"Digimon disappearing into the Real World?" Mrs. Kudou repeated "What does that mean? That was what he was going to say, wasn't it? I thought Taiki mentioned something about that term referring to our world."

"Um…you see…" Shoutmon said tepidly.

"The Real World refers to–" Taiki began.

"Is there something none of you are telling me?" Mrs. Kudou looked between the pair, her concern growing. "You aren't here just for a visit. Some other danger has come up that requires you to be in this world, hasn't it?"

Taiki and Shoutmon stared at her, mouths open to say anything to contradict her concern, and reassure her there was nothing to be worried about. But Taiki and Shoutmon exchanged glances and shame fell upon them.

"Sorry." Taiki said quietly. "I didn't want to have you worry but I guess that backfired."

"You're Taiki's mom after all," Shoutmon said. "You were able to put that together quickly."

"I hope any concerned parent would be able to put two and two together if their children are in potential danger," Mrs. Kudou replied. "Though I would like a few more details on what's going on."

Shoutmon hesitated, but under Mrs. Kudou's worried and expectant gaze, he was compelled to explain. "You see, there's this alternate dimension in your world called DigiQuartz. We're still trying to figure out why it showed up but Digimon from the Digital World have been falling into it and misbehaving in all sorts of strange ways. As Digimon king, I can't have my subjects separated from their friends and family. I can't have humans endangered either, so I decided to take action. No offence to you guys but you're rather delicate against even some of the weakest amongst us. So my gang and I reunited with Taiki and a few other compatriots so as to get these Digimon back into order and find out what's going on with DigiQuartz."

Mrs. Kudou nodded along and stared keenly at Shoutmon as though taking this all in, wearing an unnaturally serious expression. Then, she asked. "So are you tackling this problem alone or are there others who can help? You mentioned compatriots."

"Yuu is working with us." Taiki said. "He was part of our Digital World adventures. And there's my junior, Tagiru. He's new to this but he and his partner Gumdramon seem to be doing well so far."

"Those two are troublemakers but birds of a feather." Shoutmon smirked. "From what I saw today, they aren't bad."

Mrs. Kudou's serious and concerned expression didn't change. "So does this mean there would be fighting?"

"I'm afraid so," Taiki answered. "It's the only way to get most of these Digimon under control. We have to beat them up enough so we could capture and purify them of any ill intention. That sometimes means we have to risk getting hurt."

Mrs. Kudou's perturbed expression, if possible, seemed to deepen. She stared tensely at her miso soup as though thinking thoroughly about what she heard. An awkward silence fell among them.

"Though all of us are now more experienced." Ballistamon cut in.

"Ballistamon has the correct assessment." Dorulumon rushed to add. "We're far more experienced than when we first arrayed against the Bagra Empire. That includes Taiki. Compared to that organized enemy, this apparent supernatural threat could be easier to manage with Taiki's months of experience."

"I agree, kyu." Cutemon said. "I'm sure Taiki and the rest of us can wrestle it back under control and get rid of it altogether, kyu"

"Yeah, that's the attitude to have!" Starmon said. "Taiki has become too old and experienced to be knocked on his butt on the second go!"

"That's one way to put it!" The Pickmon chorused.

Shoutmon glared mildly at the Xros Loader, still sore over Starmon's loose tongue. But his old energy was starting to come back and Mrs. Kudou's concern seemed somewhat assuaged by the encouragement from Ballistamon and the others. She was still thinking but, Taiki was relieved to note, the tenseness in her gaze wasn't as pronounced.

"It's true those experiences have made Taiki wiser." Mrs. Kudou said. "For the past year, you've been able to handle yourself well since Akari moved away. You've bailed classmates out of trouble without needing my help as much. I think you would never do anything to intentionally endanger yourself…but I can't help but worry." That tense, worried look reemerged. "You have hurt yourself helping others before. I don't want you to stop helping these lost Digimon get better and reunite with their loved ones. Still, I want an assurance you'll come home safe and sound. That's probably a difficult promise to keep, isn't it?"

"I'm rather attached to living, Mom." Taiki replied. "I'll try my best to see you and Dad again. But you're right. As with all dangerous duties, I can't exactly make the promise iron-clad, you know."

"But the rest of Xros Heart and I, along with every other friend we have, will make sure that promise is so iron-clad, Taiki wouldn't be able to escape it even with all the 'I can't turn my back on you' determination he possesses." Shoutmon smirked and poked Taiki in the arm. "You're not leaving this world anytime soon as long as your friends are around, you hear?"

Taiki grinned sheepishly but fondly as he turned back to Mrs. Kudou. "I can guarantee you with a vow like that Shoutmon and the others would be watching me like a hawk from now on. They can be as protective of me as I am of, well, anybody. They'll keep their word, Mom."

Mrs. Kudou was still a bit worried but reassurance was slowly eclipsing it on her face. She closed her eyes for a second and let out a breath. "I see. I guess there's no helping it. Humans and Digimon need to be protected. Since you all seem like such sincere and good people, I trust you to keep your promise. However, if there's even a hint of breaking that promise, Shoutmon and the others would be barred for several days from having dinner here."

"Not being able to join you guys for dinner!" Shoutmon exclaimed. He looked at Taiki's Xros Loader. "That is a serious threat, men! We must be doubly sure to keep our promise with Taiki's mom, you hear?"

"Clearly." Ballistamon said, an edge of worry in his voice.

"After having a taste of her food, we can't run the risk of having it taken away from us." Dorulumon said dryly. "We sure have our priorities straight."

"That's for sure, kyu." Cutemon said with a bit of a laugh. "It's a good motivator though. We'll stick to the promise, kyu!"

"Yeah, we'll be the star promise keepers of the Digital World," Starmon said.

"We cross our hearts!" The Pickmon said.

"When food's on the line, it only gives them further incentive to do right." Taiki nodded mock seriously. "You can trust them here, Mom."

Shoutmon imitated Taiki's nod, their serious expressions somewhat belayed by the corners of their lips conspicuously twitching. A smile cracked across Mrs. Kudou's face, and soon she gave a gentle laugh.

"Okay, okay, I trust you all. If Taiki's still alive after all the adventures and dangers you've hinted at, then you must have done a pretty good job protecting them. I can't help but believe you'll continue doing so even with this whole DigiQuartz business."

Shoutmon and Taiki's faces split into wide grins. Exchanging happy looks, they bowed their heads. "Thank you very much!"

Mrs. Kudou smiled tenderly. "Really, you two are so good for each other. The other Digimon, too. You complement one another so well. You must have had as good instincts as Taiki in order to have kept him safe. Thanks for reminding me of my trust in my son. He might occasionally forget about himself but he takes some consideration for his own wellbeing. Taiki wouldn't be able to help if he was out of commission. As we saw here, he doesn't want to hurt those who await his return. So I will trust he'll return."

Taiki was touched by her words. "Mom…" He shook his head. "I'll definitely come back. Maybe not every night, depending on the mission or social activity that might come up, but I promise I will come back home."

Mrs. Kudou acknowledged that vow with a smile that looked wetter around the eyes. She reached across and put a brief, supporting hand on Taiki's shoulder. Taiki made sure to hold her gaze, exchanging his reassurance with her remaining worries, his thankfulness with her trust. When she broke off a few seconds later to resume eating, Taiki looked around and saw Shoutmon surreptitiously wiping his eyes.

"A bit too much of a heartfelt moment, huh, buddy?" Taiki said.

"Aw, you could say that." Shoutmon turned his face away, his voice having a slight catch. "I guess I have a soft spot for touching family moments. You better treat that nice mom of yours well, Taiki."

"Oh, I will. You lot will make sure of that. Besides, she's the one who's taking care of me anyway."

Shoutmon raised an arm and pressed it against his eyes. "Heh, you got that right." Shoutmon then buried his mouth into the ramen bowl and eagerly sucked up the last bit of it, and gave a satisfied slurp. He cheerfully raised the empty bowl over his head. "Thanks for the food! It was delicious."

"You're welcome." Mrs. Kudou replied, warm manner returning. "Judging by your reaction to my threat to bar you from future dinners, you want to eat around this table again. I do hope you will."

"Xros Heart would be more than happy to take up the invitation." Shoutmon said. "I can't wait to tell you about all the fun and interesting Digital World adventures we had, and the dangers Taiki bailed us out of."

"I can only imagine. We have all night, you could fill us in on the details."

"Oh, I will. But first, I think I'm going to help myself to another serving."

That earned a laugh from Mrs. Kudou and Taiki.

"Already, Brother?" Starmon asked. "But this must be your third serving."

"Hey, I could take a bit more in." Shoutmon replied. "I'm a king, after all. I need to be healthy."

"Starmon, I do recall you eating to the point of passing out as much as Shoutmon." Dorulumon said. "So you might as well be begging for that third serving along with him."

"You know what, you're right!" Starmon said. "In fact, I still haven't finished my first serving, so I better get chomping."

"Agreed!" The Pickmon said.

"Look at what you've started, kyu." Cutemon said.

"Yeah, me and my big mouth." Dorulumon said.

"I must also have a big mouth." Ballistamon said, as a growling sound was emitted from the Xros Loader. "I ate everything quickly and need another serving too."

Mrs. Kudou laughed. "Help yourself to some more. Just make sure to place the plates and bowls you use on the table first and go back and forth to fill them all individually before going inside the Xros Loader. That'll lower the risk of dropping or knocking anything over. Also wait until Shoutmon's done. I have a feeling he's a person who doesn't enjoy someone getting between him and his food, so be cautious."

"Heh, you know me well, Taiki's mom." Shoutmon chuckled as he scooped up a spoon and refilled the ramen bowl. "Just need a minute to fill everything else to the tipy-top and I'll be done."

Shoutmon got it done within less than a minute and bowing himself over his dishes on the table, he gave a whistle before he and those dishes vanished in a flash of light. Ballistamon took his place, barely able to balance his dishes. Mrs. Kudou and Taiki hastily got up to help put those dishes on the table but Ballistamon soon got the hang of the routine. Taiki and Mrs. Kudou only needed to hover a bit close by and watch to make sure nothing was knocked over. With a polite nod to Mrs. Kudou, Ballistamon vanished. The rest of the party soon got their food with only a little trouble. Even Starmon and his compatriots behaved, the former still sheepish over accidentally spilling the beans about DigiQuartz with Mrs. Kudou. Soon, as though this was becoming a normal sight around the Kudou dinner table, Shoutmon cheerily resumed eating as Mrs. Kudou watched fondly.

"Hmm, still good." Shoutmon said. "I think we're going to like it around here."

"Remember this is a welcome guest event." Taiki said. "The rest of the time we eat here you guys will probably be eating less servings…and maybe eating out in some instances, whether getting food from Wisemon in the Digital World or getting a chance to taste some more Earth delicacies. I don't want to stress my mother out both physically and financially with giving you lot a feast every day."

"I'd hate to admit it, but Taiki's right." Shoutmon sighed, a bit disappointed but resolute. "We better enjoy what we get. It's better than the food situation we had during our adventures."

"I would surmise from that tone the food situation was less than reliable." Mrs. Kudou said. "I think you said you have anecdotes."

"And I will deliver. For food, oh, like you wouldn't believe. We relished every moment we could stop and feast. Why, there was one time where a few of us ate so much we passed out just when Bastia Castle was attacked. But Taiki was able to work around it until we regained consciousness and rejoined the fight."

Mrs. Kudou gave a laugh. "That doesn't sound very healthy for you but that's my Taiki. Always able to think on his feet when a sudden snag comes in."

"His ability to think on his feet isn't always healthy, I say." Shoutmon smirked. "When we returned to the Digital World and got confronted by the new slate of Bagra minions that showed up, Taiki thought it was a good idea to come with the cool and intimidating alias of FlowerPowermon."

Mrs. Kudou attempted to suppress her chuckles with a hand. "No one is perfect. I guess the pressure of returning to a world with new conditions got to him."

"Ain't that right? And ooh, this reminds me of another moment when-"

Taiki pressed his hand against his face as Shoutmon regaled Mrs. Kudou with another embarrassing moment for Taiki in their adventures. Yet as he saw the smiles and genial laughs between the two and heard the convivial voices putting in their two cents from the Xros Loader, Taiki couldn't help but smile. It was nice to see his Digimon friends and mother get along so well, and he had a feeling dinner would be a lot livelier around the Kudou table in the weeks and months to come.

 **The End**


End file.
